Travelling & Setting up!

I can't believe it's been a week since I last posted. Time has just flown! So, last Sunday Crew K (my crew) set out with Crew B from Loveland, CO to head out to Racine, WI. My crew had to hang back and pick up one of our crew members from Denver, CO (she had flown home for her little brother's graduation and then flew back Sunday afternoon). So, since we're the all girl crew, we took the liberty to get pedicures while we had time to kill in Denver.

Then, once we got Sara from DIA, we headed to Kearney, Nebraska and stayed there for the night and met up with Crew B Monday morning in Omaha. From there the 8 of us drove 4 hours down the road to Iowa City to stay for the night. And, finally, by Tuesday night we made it to New Berlin, WI, where we stayed Tuesday & Wednesday. We stayed at Mike's house (the materials manager for Crew B), which was so wonderful. His family made us dinner & breakfast for two days and let us do probably a million loads of laundry. They honestly were just the best. I couldn't have felt more at home (well, unless I actually was at home...). On Wednesday my crew had the day off, so we went shopping in Milwaukee and saw the art museum, which was pretty cool. But, we then got caught in a thunderstorm and literally ran from the mall in Milwaukee back to our car. It was not a fun time, but certainly a fun story and we shared many laughs during it all.

Here's Crews B&K (or Burger King according to our staff contact)

From Left to Right: Sara, Me, Kelly, Jacki, Lauren, Mike, Matt, & Laura

 Here we are leaving New Berlin!

To update you on me personally...I'm doing alright. Set-up here in Racine has gone well I'd say. I've been helping Jacki, the office manager for Crew B. I appreciate being able to be here and help out because it's giving me a better idea of what I'm going to need to do when we arrive in Parma, OH on Wednesday. I'm feeling good about doing this job, I think this "practice run" is boosting my confidence effectively. However, for personal/spiritual matters, it is so hard to make time for quiet times. We are so busy and so tired all of the time that it is very rare that I can find a time or place to just sit in the presence of Jesus. On top of that, as I've shared in previous posts about eating disorder recovery, body image seems to be fluctuating so much, which is very difficult to sporadically be battling alongside the stress of this job. Max has been AMAZING in checking in with me and talking me through some things, usually coupled with scripture and his own loving encouragement for me. Our two year anniversary was on Wednesday of this week, which was such a bittersweet day for me at least; it's so exciting, but a bummer that I can't be with him to celebrate this week. Anyways. This morning as I was getting ready and doing my all-too-typical critique of myself in the mirror, I realized that I need to try the challenge that another girl on staff told me about during training. I need to do the "No Mirrors" challenge. My problem is that I so easily pick things about myself and my appearance and quickly label them negative so that I can agonize and criticize as much as possible. It makes little sense why this becomes my default when I believe in a Savior that defines my worth as so much more than what I see. So, my thought is that maybe this lack of mirrors will help me understand the unseen better. Then, turns out my devotion from Jesus Calling was all about fixing our eyes on what is unseen...

"The tangible world still reflects My Glory, to those who have eyes that see and ears that hear. Spending time alone with Me is the best way to develop seeing eyes and hearing ears. The goal is to be aware of unseen things even as you live out your life in the visible world."

Sweet. Honestly, just what I needed to hear. A reminder that yes, my appearance DOES reflect HIS glory, but that I need to spend time with him to develop a keener sense of the unseen. Y'all, there's a lot that I'm struggling to see. Not to put myself or anyone else on a pedestal, but I struggle to acknowledge the fruit of ministry that Jesus can do, is doing, and will do through us. I want it. I ask Him for it. But I don't expect it. Would you pray for that & do that too? Let's not just ask anymore, but fully anticipate His presence with us.

Love y'all.

P.S. I recognize this is out of context, but I do find a sense of empowerment and truth in this verse applicable to the life of a "Christian..."

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
-1 Peter 2:9